Making History

Edwards AFB opens up their restricted airspace for a first-ever Lakebed Fly-in

Text By John Hayes, Photos By Jessica Ambats

As the afternoon approached, so did the weather. Ominous storms moved in from the south, so an early departure briefing was held, and pilots were issued departure group numbers and start times. Each plane threw back clouds of dust as the power came up and they accelerated for liftoff. The foreboding weather provided a dramatic backdrop to a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and there’s no question that everyone left with a newfound appreciation for the hard work done by all the folks at Edwards.

Our Cirrus SR22 from Santa Monica’s Justice Aviation was one of the first to arrive to the fly-in on the lakebed. Out of 2,500 entries in the lottery held by Edwards AFB, only 115 civilian aircraft were selected to land on the dry lakebed within the restricted area. Those who weren’t picked were invited to drive in.